Print Options:

Spring Thyme Pork Roast with Peanut Sauce





Yields
Makes 8 servings

"I experiment a lot with herbs. They can be a wonderful, tantalizing secret ingredient in almost everything, if you use them sparingly," says Betty Nichols. She serves this pork roast with mashed sweet potatoes.

 1 fat-trimmed, boned, tied center-cut pork loin (about 2 1/2 lb.)
 1 1/3 cups apple cider or juice
 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
 1/4 cup peanut butter
 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
 1 teaspoon hot chili flakes
 2 cloves garlic
Step 1
1

Cut 1/2-inch-deep slits all over pork; place meat in a large plastic food bag.

Step 2
2

In a food processor or blender, combine cider, soy sauce, peanut butter, thyme, chili flakes, and garlic. Whirl until well blended.

Step 3
3

Pour cider marinade over pork, seal bag, turn to coat meat with marinade, then set in a pan. Chill, turning occasionally, for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Step 4
4

Lift meat from marinade and set on a rack in a 9- by 13-inch pan. Reserve marinade.

Step 5
5

Bake pork in a 350° oven until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reaches 150° to 155°, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours; after 40 minutes, baste with some of the reserved marinade. Transfer pork to platter and let stand 5 to 10 minutes in a warm place.

Step 6
6

As pork rests, pour remaining marinade into pan with pork juices. (If pork drippings are burned, do not use. Instead pour marinade into a 10- to 12-in. frying pan.) Stir to scrape browned bits free. Then stir often over high heat until the sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into a bowl.

Step 7
7

Slice the pork and accompany the meat with sauce.

Nutrition Facts

0 servings

Serving size

Amount per serving
Calories278
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g16%

Saturated Fat 3.4g17%
Cholesterol 84mg29%
Sodium 509mg23%
Total Carbohydrate 7.5g3%

Dietary Fiber 0.6g3%
Protein 33g

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.